Rotary fuel burner



May 1934- M. J. BINKLEY 1,960,837

ROTARY FUEL BURNER Filed Feb. 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l I ATTORNEYS May 29, 1934. M. J. BiNKLEY ROTARY FUEL BURNER Filed Feb. 11, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A'ITORNEY$ Q kw w R y 29, 1934- M. J. BINKLEY ,960,837

ROTARY. FUEL BURNER Filed Feb. 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2S ATTORNEYS Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT) OFFIQE ROTARY FUEL BURNER Martin J. Binkley, East Orange, N. J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Silent Glow Oil Burner Corporation, ration of Connecticut Hartford, Conn, a corpo- Application February 11, 1929, Serial No. 339,078

10 Claims.

The invention relates to fuel burning apparatus of the rotary head or centrifugally operating type; and the general object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus and mechanism of the character specified and which is not only highly efiicient but practically silent inoper ation. Specific objects of the invention are the provision of, first, a new and improved rotary burner head whereby the oil or other liquid fuel and the air are more effectively controlled and distributed through the fire box than heretofore; second, new and improved lubricating means for the bearing of said head; and, third, new and improved means for intermixing the liquid fuel and the air and bringing them into proper condition for ignition and heating. Other objects will subsequently appear.

To the above ends my invention consists in the features of construction, combinations of devices and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In carrying out the invention in the present instance, I provide a fuel receiving cup or distributing device having a substantially circular or hollow cylindrical body portion open at the bottom and terminating in a trough or gutter, the upper part of the body terminating in an outwardly extending flange, lip or shelf. A closure or cover is spaced upward from the cup, which is vertically disposed, and interposed between the closure and the flange of the cup are secured a plurality of plate-like parts which are so arranged as to provide a number of outlet orifices contracting as they extend from the inside to the outside, one side or wall of each outlet being roughened or serrated.

The under side of the flange is formed or otherwise provided with a series of vanes or blades .which act to produce a current of air, the air being received from a chamber located below the blades. The bottom of the air chamber is preferably provided with adjustable closures whereby the air supply may beregulatecl. -The burner head receives its supply of liquid fuel from a stationary pipe nozzle that drops the fuel into the cup trough. The burner head is secured at the upper portion of a shaft or spindle vertically disposed and mounted in a stationary bearing, the lower end of said spindle being connected to an electric motor or other suitable driving means. Surrounding or partly surroundingthe spindle and its bearing is a reservoir containing lubricant whereby they are at all times kept effectively lubricated, thereby neutralizing the cheat of the heat to which they are subjected from the fire box. The lubricating reservoir is mounted to revolve with the spindle, the lubricant revolving with it and being supplied to the hearing by a stationary tube or pipe arranged within the reser- 6Q voir and having a passageway opening to the bearing at one end, the other or mouth end receiving the lubricant. The fuel burning apparatus as a whole is mounted on a suitable support or stand and at the under side of the boiler, and 5 as herein shown the burner head projects upward into the fire box of the boiler through an opening at the under side thereof, being so disposed that the fuel outlet orifices and the air vanes or blades are just above the hearth or bottom of the fire 7g box. At or near the point where the outer part of the hearth joins the boiler wall of the fire box are mixing devices in the form of a set of baiile plates of refractory material which provide a grill having an inside groove or gutter and an outer curved passage-way which is preferably broken up into a plurality of passage-ways by partitions or side walls.

In operation, when the burner head is rotated, the liquid fuel received from the supply pipe w in the trough of the head is forced upward over the inner circular wall thereof by centrifugal action, the fuel being spread into a stratum or film, as it rises. It is often times desirable that this film should be thinned as much as possible in or-. der that its atomization may be expedited and it is found in practice that the vertical, or sub-= stantially vertical, sides of the fuel cup, as contrasted with the expanded or flaring sides of prior fuel cups, oonduce to this end. In any event the straight sides are effective to spread or distribute the rising liquid in an even uniform manner. The fuel is expelled from the burner head 'as it rotates through the orifices aforesaid, in a whirling sheet or streams, and the roughened or 5 serrated walls of these orifices play an important part in breaking up or atomizing the liquid,

the atomized fuel being whirled outward over the hearth substantially in the form'of a thin layer or sheet, so to speak. At the same time the air 1w vanes expel outward an underlying layer of air,

the two layers, one of air and one of fuel, being effectively intermixed by the grill system.

Preferably the fuel mixture is ignited by suitable means such as a pilot light at or in the neighborhood of the grill gutter or trough, and being expelled outward through the grill passage-ways the heated flame rises in a whirling sheath substantially conforming to the shape of the fire box wall and in substantial contact therewith. 11o

any unconsumed gases being deflected inward against and beneath the top of the fire box, then downward over the cover of the burner head and thence outward again with the fuel freshly ex-u pelled from the burner head. It will be understood thatthe gasifying of the fuel mixture is promoted as the grill itself 'is heated so that after initial operation very little if any liquid fuel drops into the grill trough. However, this pro vides a convenient means for catching and retaining any liquid fuel and especially during the initial stages of the operation.

The invention will be described and its mode of operation explained more in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, wlferein Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view largely diagrammatic, illustrating a fuel burning installation or system to which my invention is adapted.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of one form of my improved fuel burning apparatus, together with associate parts. I

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the burner head with its closure or cover removed, drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of baffle plates comprised in the grill system; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a plan view and central vertical sectional view showing a modified form of burner head.

The invention may be availed of in connection with heating systems of various styles or lay-outs, one such being diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1 wherein 10 represents a storage tank for oil or other liquid fuel, which tank is connected by a pipe system 11 with an oil pump and meter indicated at 12 and therefrom by a supply line 13 with the supply pipe of the burner as hereinafter described. Power for operating the motor of the burner is obtained from an electric supply line 14 which operates through a switch system indicated at 15, one of the lines therefrom indicated at 16 connecting with and operating the electric motor for rotating the burner head. The switch system also connects with a boiler-limiting de-.

vice 17 from which one or more lines as 18 may run to room thermostats. Another lineas 19 connected to the switch system may connect to the electric or gas pilot light for initially igniting the fuel'in the fire box. It will be understood, of course, that my invention is not limited in its application to any particular heating system, that shown merely being by way of example.

The invention may be employed with various types of boilers, the boiler illustrated and indicated at 20 beingof the circular type and comprising an underlying heating chamber or fire box designated as 21 (Fig. 2) having a hearth or floor 22 of suitable refractory material, and a circular or tubular wall 23.

The burner apparatus as will be understood from Fig. 2 is disposed below the boiler and comprises a stand or framework which includes legs 24 on which is adjustably supported a horizontally disposed triangular bracket 25 from which is suspended an electric motor 26.

Adjustably secured to the tops of the legs 24 is the framework of the burner proper, indicated as a whole by the numeral 27. The framework com prises a cone-shaped shell portion 28 having internal lugs 29, the shell extending upward through an opening in the hearth 22 in which it preferably closely fits, the top terminating about on a linewith the surface of the hearth. Removably secured to the lugs 29 are the radially disposed arms 30 of a bearing-housing or memher having a depending tubular body portion 31 in which is fitted a bushing 32 made of bronze or other suitable alloy and formed with lubricating passages.

Rotatably fitting in the bushing is the upright shaft or spindle 33 of the burner head, said spindle being provided with a collar 34 which co-operates with the upper flanged end of the bushing 32 to prevent downward displacement. The lower portion of the shaft 33 is slightly reduced and threaded as indicated at 35 and at its end is operatively connected by flanged devices 36 with the upwardly projecting portion of the motor shaft 37.

Above the integral collar 34the shaft or spindle 33 terminates in a threaded portion 33 to which.

is suitably secured the driving head of the burner. The driving head is in the form of a circular plate 38 having -a depressed or dished central portion 39 apertured to fit loosely over the shaft portion 33 Securedto the shaft portion below the plate 38, 39 as by a set screw. 40, is a flanged collar 41 on which the circular plate rests. A dowel pin 42 may insure against relative rotary displacement between said plate and the collar 41. The plate is clamped against the collar by a locking nut 43 which is threaded down over the shaft portion 33 The circular plate 38 overlies and is spaced upward from the burner head proper or cup indicated generally by the numeral 44 and comprising a body, receptacle or cup proper 45 which is substantially circular or cylindrical, without any outward flare, the bottom being open and terminating in an inwardly disposed groove 46'. The upper end of the-cup is spread or extended outward providing a horizontal flange or lip 47. In the space between. the circular plate 38, 39 and the flange 4'? is interposed a plurality of plates or washer elements 48 best shown in Fig. 3, four of such plates being employed in the present instance, although their number may be varied and if preferred the plate means may be made of a single piece properly shaped. Each washer plate 48, has its outer face curved to conform to the peripheries of the flange47 and the plate 38, and in addition is provided with a straight radial wall or face 49 and a serrated or roughened wall or face 50.

The shape of each plate 48 is generally triangular and they are so disposed relatively to each other that they combine with the underlying flange 47 and the overlying plate 38 to provide outlet orifices 51 which gradually contract from the inside to the outside, the mouths of these orifices, 52, being regularly spaced apart from each other and providing outlets for theliquid fuel received from the cup. It will be perceived that one side or wall of each outletv orifice or chamber-is serrated or roughened and this has proven in practice of much value in promoting the atomizing of the fuel as it passes and is expelled outward over the flange 47. ,The elements 48 are preferably in dividually secured to the flange 47 but, if preferred, they may be clamped between the flange and the plate 38 by means of headed screws 53 whose primary function is to secure the cup element 45; 4'? to the driving plate 38, 39, thereby forcing the cup to rotate with said plate and with the spindle or shaft 33 to which it is fixed. Thus the plate 38, 39 serves both to connect the burner cup to its shaft and also serves as a top or cover for said cup.

The under side of the flange 47 is provided with a set or series of suitably shaped air vanes or blades 54 which are preferably cast integrally with 7 that the supply the flange of the cup but may if preferred be made separately and suitably secured thereto.

The fuel supply pipe 13 is connected by an elbow with an upwardly inclined short pipe 56 which in turn is connected by a joint 57 with a supply nozzle 58 which extends upward inside the cup and has its mouth or outlet outwardly bent so that it overlies the cup groove 46, the arrangement being such that oil or other liquid fed or pumped through the pipes 13 and 56 and upward through the nozzle 58 -will flow downward into the cup groove. The member 57 is stationary so device or nozzle 58 which is mounted on it is also stationary and remains motionless during rotary movements of the burner head comprising the cup 44. It will be understood that the bearing of the burner head is subjected to considerable heat from the fire box\ and requires effective continuous lubrication in order to be practically operative. In practice, the lubricating means provided by the present invention has been found highly emcient. Said means comprises a supply receptacle orreservoir composed of a circular bottom portion 59 and a corresponding cover or top 60 which is screwed down over the bottom portion or otherwise secured thereto. The walls of the parts 59 and 60 incline towards each other, the object being so to shape the reservoir as to impose the least resistance to the air during rotation thereof. The reservoir surrounds the shaft 33v and its bearing and is connected to the shaft so as to rotate therewith. The reservoir bottom 59 is formed with a hole whereby it is fitted over the threaded portion 35, andis clamped against the shoulder formed between its threaded portion and the body of the shaft, by means of a locking nut 61 which is threaded upward over the part 35. The reservoir top 60 is formed with an opening 62 somewhat larger in diameter than the bearing 31. Within the reservoir is a stationary pipe 63 which is threaded through the wall of the hollow bearing 31 and communicates with the lubricating passages formed in the inner face of the part 31 and in the bushing 32, these passages of course being inter-connected. The mouth or free end portion of the tube 63 is suitably shaped to cooperate with the lubricant, indicated at 64, as it is whirled around by the motion of the containing reservoir, so that the lubricant is forced inward through the tube. The shaft 33 closely fits in its bearing but the lubricating passages afford ready admission of the lubricant to all bearing portions of the shaft. Any surplus which is forced out at the top may pass down through the outlet 65 and drop down through the opening 62 in to the reservoir where it may be used anew. The construction is such that the lubricant is continuously supplied to the bearing with a minimum of disturbance and splashing.

Secured to the frame 27 below the lubricating reservoir is a circular air chamber closure or bottom 66 formed with a sei'ies of circular apertures 67 and with a centralopening, the inner parts of the closure surrounding the central opening being bent back as indicated at 68 to provide bearings for a circularcover 69 which fits colsely to the under side of the closure or plate 66 and is adapted to be rotatably moved by hand relatively to the plate 66, convenient means for this purpose being a hand piece or handle 70 secured to the cover and projecting outward beyond the frame 27 where it may be readily manipulated.

The cover 69 is provided with a series of holes indicated at 71 corresponding with the holes 67. It will be seen that the closure 66 provides a bottom for an air chamber whose side walls are constituted bythe shell 28 and that the apertured cover 69 co-operating with the holes 67 in the plate 66 affords means for varying admission of outside air to said air chamber. During rotation of the burner head the air from the chamber is expelled outwardly by the operation of the vanes 54 through the spaces between the vanes, passing outward in a whirling stream or layer, as indicated by the arrows a in Fig. 2 over the hearth 22. This layer of air, it will be understood, underlies a corresponding layer of fuel as it is expelled by the burner head through the mouths 52 of the outlets 51 as indicated by the arrows b in Fig. 2. Of course there is some in-- termingling of the air and fuel as they are expelled or whirled outward over the hearth or floor, but the construction affords practically effective layers or spreads which are not compounded, so to speak, until the outer area of the hearth is reached.

As has been stated, the liquid fuel or oil received in the groove 46 is forced upward during the rotation of the cup 44 over the inner ,Wall of the cup proper 45 in a substantially uniform film or stratum and thence outward over the flange 47 due to centrifugal action. In its passage over the flange and through the outlet openings 51 the fuel film is disorganized or disintegrated, atomizing being promoted by the rough serrated walls 59 of the orifices which break up the film into particles. The construction and operation are such that there is little intermixture of the atomized oil and air over the fire box floor or hearth 22 and the flashing point is not.

reached during this outward movement. u

To assist intermixing the atomized fuel and air at the outer area of the hearth and to promote gasifying the mixture, means are provided in the form as herein shown, of a grill system shown in Figs. 4 and 5 comprising base sections 72, having inner flanges 73 and channels 74 in which are cemented the upright plates 75 having apertures which, in the specific example shown, are of two sizes, larger apertures 76 and smaller apertures 77. Preferably each section and plate is about 5. long and the plate about 3" in height and set about from the side wall of the fire box, although these dimensions may be greatly varied depending upon the size of the furnace fire box. For instance in large furnaces the height of the plate may be as much as 8 or 10 inches, and set more than from the side wall. The apertures may be of any desired size, preferably A to 1", and these apertures may be all small or all large or of mixed sizes in the same plate. The flange 73 andplate 75 form between them a groove so that the spreading gases encounter first a deflecting surface followed by an expansion space and then followed by the'vertical apertured plates completing the mixture of the gases. Instead of one row of plates 75 a double row may be used, spaced about /2' apart and with their apertures staggered.

The relative disposition of the elements and their parts clearlyf'appears from Fig. 2 and it has been attempted graphically to depict their function in intermixing' and gasifying the mixture of fuel and air-by arrows in said figure although, of course, these are to be taken merely as generally indicative. The outwardly progressing steams of gas and air are first abruptly turned 4 I and intermixed by the flange '13 and the resulting disturbed currents expand and intermix in the groove '78 between the flange 73 and the plate '75 and are then further and finally in- 5 termixed around the plate '75 and in the apertures therethrough and in thespace between the plate '75 and the wall 23. Where desired an extra groove or gutter may be provided in the base plate "72 between the flange, '73 and the plate '15. It will be seen that the two sets of grill borhood of the groove '78 or the guttertherein.

After what has been said it is deemed unnecessary further to discuss the operation of the embodiment of the invention above described. The centrifugally operated fuel burner apparatus is for the most part (reference being had more particularly to the burner head and reservoir elements) preferably formed or cast of aluminum or other light metal and is effectively lubricated. As said, it is practically noiseless in operation. The control and feeding of the fuel in association with the fire box results in a highly effective and economical operation.

Various changes may be made without departing from the invention, and an example of such changes is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7.. These figures show a modified construction of burner head' involving a supplemental closure or cover 81 overlying and spaced upward from the closure 38 to which it is secured in fixed relation byscrews 82. The closure 81 is formed with a central opening indicated at 83 and at its under side and between it and the cover 38 are disposed a series of curved blades or vanes 84. The purpose of this additional plate 81 and its vane system is to facilitate the control of the unconsumed gases which passing up over the fire box wall and inward under the roof thereof are forced downward and drawn through the hole 83, being thence forced outward by the centrifugal action of the vanes 84 to be intermixed with the fuel mixture at the battle plates '72, '16 where such gases may be ignited and consumed.

I claim: 1. In a fuel burner apparatus, the combination of a fuel cup terminating at its top in a horizontal flange, means for supplying liquid fuel to said cup, means co-operating with said flange to provide a plurality of out-flow orifices spaced apart and having serrated walls, and means for rotating said cup and discharging fuel through said orifices.

2. In a fuel burner apparatus, the combination of a burner head comprising a cup terminating .at its-top in a horizontal flange, means for supplying liquid fuel to said cup at its lower side, means co-operating with said flange to provide a series of out-flow orifices gradually contracting as they extend from the interiorto the exterior of the flange, each orifice having at least one of its walls irregu1ar,'and means for rotating said cup and discharging fuel through said orifices.

- 3. In a fuel burner apparatus, the combination of a burner head comprising a fuel cup having a top horizontal flange, a closure for said cup spaced from said flange, means between said flange and said closure providing a plurality of out-flow orifices, means for supplying liquid fuel to said cup, a protective cap above said closure controlling admission of fluid, a plurality of vanes between said cap and said closure, and means for rotating said burner head.

4. In a fuel burner apparatus, the combination of a burner head comprising a fuel cup having a top horizontal flange, a closure for said cup spaced from said flange, means between said flange and said closure providing a plurality of out-flow orifices each having at least one of its walls roughened, means for suplying liquid fuel to said cup, and means for. rotating said burner head.

5. In a fuel burner apparatus, the combination of a burner head comprising a-fuel cup having a top horizontal flange, a removable closure for said cup spaced from said flange, serrated platelike means disposed between said flange and said closure providing a plurality of out-flow orifices, means for supplying liquid fuelto said cup, and means. for rotating said burner head.

6. In a fuel burner apparatus, the combination of a burner head comprising a cup terminating at its top in a horizontal flange, means for supplying liquid fuel to the lower portion of said cup, a closure spaced upward from said flange, means between said closure and said flange providing a plurality of out-flow fuel orifices, means affording admission of air below said flange, a plurality of air vanes at the under side of said flange, apertured,means' controlling admission of fluid above said closure, a plurality of vanes between said apertured means and said closure, and means for rotating said head.

'7. In a fuel burner apparatus, the combination of a burner head comprising a cup terminating in a flange, means for supplying liquid fuel to' plate centrally apertured and arranged above said cup plate, guide vanes between the two plates, an underlying air chamber having an apertured bottom,and adjustable means for, varying the admission of outside air to said air chamber,-said adjustable means comprising an apertured plate rotatably mounted at the under side of said air chamber, the apertures in said plate cooperating with apertures in the bottom of said airv chamber so as to vary the size of the air-admission openings.

8. In a fuel burner apparatus, the combination of a burner head comprising a cup terminating at its top in a horizontal flange, means for supplying liquid fuel to said cup at its lower side, means co-operating with said flange to provide a series of out-flow orifices gradually contracting as they extend from the interior to the exterior of the flange, the upper and lower walls of the orifices being parallel and their contraction being in the plane of rotation of the cup, and means for rotating said cup and discharging fuel through said orifices, the fuel during such rotation passing over the flange of the cup through-out the full widths of the inlets of the orifices.

9. In a fuel'burner apparatus, the combination of a vertically disposed rotary fuel cup, means for supplying liquid fuel to said cup at or near its bottom, means co-operating with the upper portion of: said cup to provide a plurality of horizontally disposed out-flow orifices gradually contracting from their'receiving ends to their mouths, the

1,960,837. Ma1't'in J. Binlcley,

ripheral rim portion having relatively small apertures spaced substantial distances apart for the centrifugal discharge of oil spray therethrough when the head is rotated, the side walls of said apertures converging toward the periphery of the head and one side wall of each aperture extending aproximately radially of the head, and means for rotating the head.

MAR IN BINKLEY.

EastOrange, N. -J. ROTARY FUEL BURNER. Patent dated May 29, 1934. Disclaimer filed May 16,'1935, by'the asslgnee,

The Silent Glow OilBumer Hereby enters this disclaimer to whlch Is in the following Words, to Wit:

10. In vlded with a,

the head, and means for rotating [Ofiicz'al Gazette June 4, 1.935.]

the head.

Corporation.v I v that part of the claim in said specification 

